We did a few searches on the internet to get a ballpark idea of what our options might be. Then we headed to Flight Centre, sat with an awesome travel advisor and, asked a ton of questions. Knowing the amenities at the different resorts, what the beaches are like, and activities for the girls is just as important as the cost. During the conversation, we decided to focus on the June dates as the prices for January were just too high (almost double?!?).

After the conversation, we walked away with 4 different resorts in 2 different places that were all within our budget.

Do your research

With the 4 locations in hand, our next step was to read reviews and talk to friends.

TripAdvisor.ca is one of our “go-to” sites for travel information. There are a lot of reviews on all 4 of the places we were looking at. It’s good to read the good and bad reviews to get a broad sense of people’s experiences.

Craig and I started a spreadsheet to keep track of the pros and cons of each place we were considering. We noted things like the cost, the number of stars, the number of pools, activities for the girls, types of restaurants and links to the resort’s website and Trip Advisor. Seeing all of the details in one place makes comparing so much easier!

With the magic of social media, we got lots of opinions from friends when Craig asked on Facebook. A few people had been to one of the resorts that we were looking at and we actually had one friend who had been to both! She gave us some great information as she was able to do a great comparison.

Making the final decision

With all of the options laid out in our spreadsheet, we started making the decision of exactly what we wanted. One resort has a waterslide. Another has more restaurants. And on it goes.

The girls were very excited about the idea of a kids club and teen activities. The waterslide is a must. And, of course, they liked the idea of free wifi.

The girls were all for free wifi, but truly that is not a deciding factor for us. Most resorts have free wifi in the lobby, some have wifi available for purchase in the rooms and a small number have free wifi everywhere. Craig and I have Roam Like Home with Rogers which is available in both countries that we are interested in which means that if we need to get in touch with family, we will be able to. Plus being able to share our memories with friends and family right away on social media is really nice too! They can see all the fun we are having. I like to back up my photos to Google Photos so having access to data is important to me.

Since the end of June, Craig and the girls have been away camping. I should probably say RVing since my friends like to remind me that camping is supposed to be in a tent. Either way, I only see them on the weekends.

We have a membership to a campground just across the US border between Lewiston, NY and Lockport, NY. So not only are they away, but they are in another country.

When we first got the membership a few years ago, we would keep in touch with our loved ones using the camp wifi. The campground does their best, but on a busy weekend, getting on the wifi is hard.

Last summer was the first summer that Craig and the girls were away all summer-long. They were gone for 68 days. Craig can work as long as he has an internet connection and can work from camp. I only get so many vacation days so I join them on the weekends.

Juggling SIM cards while going back and forth across the border and trying to get on the camp wifi gets really frustrating. Before I left I would need to log into the company’s website and add a plan to my account and set it up to start at a certain time. I would get to the Duty Free on the Canadian side, text Craig to let him know where I was, change the SIM card and head across the border. When I got across and the US signal was picked up, I would then stop and text Craig to let him know where I was.

This year traveling back and forth across the border is easy!

This year we have Rogers Roam Like Home. One SIM card, one account and no hassles.

Roam Like HomeTM now includes over 100 destinations around the world, so if you’re on a Share EverythingTM plan like Craig and I are, you can use your phone just like you do at home. If you’re not on a Share Everything plan, check out our Travel Packs, which cover you in over 230 destinations!

It uses the same calling minutes and data plan that we already have with our Share Everything plan, just no scary roaming charges that show up on your next bill. For $5 per day to a maximum of 10 days per bill, we get to use our phones in the US. It’s that easy.

Over 100 Destinations!

Rogers Roam Like Home is available in so many places!

Comfort in contact

It truly is comforting knowing that I can keep in contact with Craig and the girls while they are away. Craig and the girls will share photos on Instagram or Craig will comment on Facebook. The girls and I can text back and forth. I can’t be there during the week so this helps me make it until the weekends!

And over the next few weeks, we’ll be able to keep in contact with our families at home when we go on a big road trip! We’ll be using our Roam Like Home to the fullest extent!

What is #FordNAIAS?

Ford Canada has invited an amazing list of Bloggers and Social Media Influencers to join their Social Media Team at the 2014 North American International Auto Show.

From January 12th to 14th, 15 Canadian bloggers will join 120 bloggers from around the world in Detroit, Michigan to learn about about Ford, see some of Ford’s technology, drive some Ford vehicles and see all of the new 2015 vehicles at the Auto Show. I’m really looking forward to the new 2015 F-150 and 2015 Mustang.

More information about NAIAS:

Why “mapsgirl” ?

Wendy is a cartographer! She draws maps!

When not mapping, Wendy is also a mom to two daughters. They are the inspiration of this blog. Passionate about child passenger safety, Wendy has been a certified Car Seat Technician in Ontario, Canada since 2008. [Read More …]